A few weeks ago I placed a sign on my front lawn saying “NO ON 3” in reference to Question 3 on the November ballot, the Universal Background Check. I’ll bet that when my neighbors, or those who know me well, saw that sign, they must have thought, “why would someone with his common sense be against background checks in Maine?”
Good question.
The answer is that I am not against background checks. What I am against is a law deceitfully written to intentionally confuse the voters so that New York billionaire Michael Bloomberg and his ilk can force their way into the lives of law-abiding Mainers and change something that has worked for well over a century.
If everyone in Maine really knew what will happen if that law passes in November, they would vote “no” without hesitation on Question 3; it’s that bad.
If Mainers really want a law dealing with background checks, they should ask their lawmakers to write a law that deals with just that and not deceive the voters with language intended to make every innocent transfer of firearms between friends, neighbors and hunting partners a criminal offense. Imagine — two innocent transfers between friends and neighbors could lead to a felony conviction that would stand for the rest of their lives. That would mean they could not own firearms again in the U.S., ever.
The actual language of the law is available online. I hope every voter takes the time to learn the truth before voting.
Roland Rancourt Jr., Auburn
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